Jared Huffman: “This bill approves a water rights settlement agreement that would resolve nearly five decades of litigation. That is a…”

“This bill approves a water rights settlement agreement that would resolve nearly five decades of litigation. That is a great thing. The 2015 settlement between the United States and the parties that Mr. Denham just mentioned is important, and approving this settlement will finally put an end to years of bitter fighting over water rights in the San Luis Rey River Basin. It also leaves intact the full amount of funds Congress previously appropriated for the tribes. This kind of negotiation is important, and the painstaking work that has gone into it is to be commended. Now it is up to Congress to do its part to implement a well-crafted settlement. I commend my colleagues across the aisle for introducing this bill and for moving it through the House, and I thank the committee staffs on both sides who have been working hard to bring this bill to the floor. I have to say, though, Mr. Speaker, that all of this good, collaborative work represented in Mr. Hunter's bill stands in contrast to another set of pending water agreements in our State. I hope that the Obama administration will look at this successful example of collaboration in San Diego County and reconsider its current approach to the Westlands-San Joaquin Valley drainage disputes, where Congress and the public have been extremely ill-served.…”